Mold - National Catholic Educational Association

Reduce Mold with Summer Moisture Maintenance

Another end to a successful school year! With summer approaching, our focus sometimes turns away from issues regarding facilities and toward the brief leisure time ahead. But the new school year will be here soon enough, and unpleasant issues such as mold, unfortunately, don't take a vacation.

Mold and mildew may actually kick into high gear in the hot, humid months of summer. If not continuously addressed, they may be more difficult to get rid of in the fall. In addition to affecting the operation of equipment, mold can affect air quality and cause health problems for some people as they return to school.

Below is a checklist of items that the facilities committee of the board should make sure are addressed over the summer:

1. Remember to be proactive. Keep buildings dry.
2. Respond to leaks seriously. Roofing and tuck-pointing issues can be the first signs of trouble.
3. Fix leaky or suspect plumbing lines.
4. Inspect areas that may be difficult to access in the winter.
5. Reduce high humidity areas through increased circulation.
6. Perform an HVAC inspection and keep drip pans clean and unobstructed.
7. Document in writing issues or complaints regarding water or high humidity areas.
8. When wet materials become visible, take action. If you can dry the area quickly, proceed, or call an expert to assist. If in serious doubt, tear it out. Any large area should be looked at by a trusted outside drying or restoration source.
9. If you believe water damage has been present more than 48 hours, make sure you investigate the water source, determine whether contaminants are present, and take prudent action to dry the affected areas.

Experience tells us that most mold problems in facilities are the result of undetected (or missed) damage and improper drying. Common sense actions can solve a lot of potential problems. Have a great summer!

Doug Cissel is the executive director of the Conference for Catholic Facility Mangers, Washington, DC (DCissel@usccb.org)

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Another article on asthma and school air quality may be found in the Summer 2001 Issue-Gram (filed under Healthy Schools). A wealth of resources is available free from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, including an Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit (402-95-001). www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/pubs.html.